Farm Groups Weigh Against New Broadband

Various farm groups have called on the Federal Communications Commission to do further testing on a proposal by Lightsquared to expand broadband coverage, which farmers say could threaten the accuracy of the GPS systems in their tractors and combines.

Earlier this year Deere & Co. put in its considerable voice against the proposal, warning of negative consequences in the 90 percent of more of tractors in the central corn belt that now use GPS.

The American Soybean Association  and a coalition of 12 other national producer groups that represent American farmers and all major crop commodities are urging the FCC to do further testing.

The Soybean Association said “in the agricultural sector, GPS-based technologies are responsible for an estimated $19 billion in higher annual farm revenue, in addition to considerable safety and environmental benefits. Thus, much is at stake for precision agriculture and this is why comprehensive testing is so important.”

“It would be totally unacceptable to expect the GPS community including government users, farmers, and other taxpayers to bear any cost for replacing equipment that ceases to function properly if solutions are found enabling LightSquared to move forward. Any costs associated with retrofitting or replacing GPS receivers must be borne by LightSquared.”